Law school honors the life of Ramona Writt '91

(March 16, 2011) Seattle University School of Law will honor the life of accomplished and beloved graduate and former faculty member Ramona Writt, who died unexpectedly March 7, 2011. The law school will host a reception from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, in the second floor gallery of Sullivan Hall.

Ramona was a star student in the law school's Academic Resource Center program. She graduated with honors in 1991 and was co-recipient of the prestigious Faculty Scholarship. After a short time practicing law and clerking for The Honorable Elaine Houghton at the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division II in Tacoma, she joined the Legal Writing Faculty at the law school. In addition to teaching Legal Writing and Comprehensive Trial Advocacy during the academic year, she worked tirelessly every summer as the Legal Writing Professor for the ARC program.

"In her over 10 years on the faculty, she touched hundreds of students and became an inspiration and role model of professionalism," said Professor Paula Lustbader, ARC director. "She was humble, quiet, calm, and caring."

"Ramona was a quietly amazing legal writing professor," says Laurel Currie Oates, director of the Legal Writing Program. "Her commitment to her students knew no bounds. She was often in her office late at night and weekends, helping a struggling student with legal analysis. She cared deeply for each one of her students and listened to their concerns and fears in a special way that reminded them of her well-founded confidence in them."

Anne Enquist, one of Ramona's legal writing colleagues, adds, "Ramona was dedication personified. Her students were her No. 1 concern. She was there for them in every way, as a teacher, as a role model, and as a friendly mentor. We are devastated by this loss."

Even after she left full-time teaching, she periodically returned when the law school needed her to teach a class. After she left teaching, she clerked for The Honorable Monica Benton at the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, practiced at Whitener and Rainey in Tacoma, and then returned to clerking at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of Nevada, based in Seattle.

A scholarship is being established in her name to benefit ARC students. For more information, contact Carol Cochran, assistant dean for admission, at ccochran@seattleu.edu or 206-398-4206.